Karaoke Night(Alternate Version)
by SimmyChicken
Summary: The Guardians have finally managed to convince Jack to join their monthly Karaoke Night. Now that he's gone, there's no turning back. And there's a certain someone isn't so eager to share Jack's voice with the rest of the Guardians. Alternate version from the original Karaoke Night, where Jack IS able to go to the Winter Concert...with disastrous consequences. Rated T for paranoia.
1. Karaoke Night- With An Uninvited Guest

This was written as a request from DogLiveOn- and several other people when the original Karaoke Night was still in progress- and somehow I wrote...this. Hope you all aren't too disappointed! And yes, my OC had to be in here. I'm sorry, but Simone and Jack just have this _connection, _if you know what I mean. I know those who are reading Talent Show do. *Wink, wink* Also, don't worry, the next chapter is coming out sometime this week. It's just that I had a _major _author's block, and this prompt is helping me get back on track. You will have your ice-skating chapter ready soon!

_But the jokes wearing thin,  
Let the audience in,  
__Let my opera begin...!_

-Erik, _Phantom of the Opera_

* * *

Jack Frost peeked through Jamie's window. The young boy seemed to be asleep, but Jack knew better. As soon as September was over, Jack would make each day in Jamie's town a snow day, and visit him every night to take him on epic sled rides. It was just one of those understandings that you couldn't just ignore.

He cautiously knocked at his window with his staff, ignoring the little frosting patterns that began to crawl along the edge. Jamie immediately bolted up and turned his head to the window. His face split into a toothy grin that looked a lot better now that the front tooth that had been knocked out their first time together had grown back. "Jack!"

He grinned back. "Hey, there, kid! Ready for tonight?" he asked as the young boy hurried over to open the window.

Jamie's face fell. "I'm sorry, but I can't, Jack."

Jack frowned. "Why not?"

"Well, I have to get up REALLY early in the morning because my mom and Sophie and I are going to California for a few days."

"Really? Wow, Jamie that's great!" Jack exclaimed, sitting down on the windowsill, trying to ignore his feelings of disappointment. "Where to? I might be able to visit you there."

Jamie shook his head. "I thought about that, and asked my mom if snowed in San Francisco and she said it _never _snows there. Like, _ever._ I'm sorry, Jack," he said miserably.

He waved it off carelessly. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine. Hey, just remember to have fun in California. Remember to watch out for the Monterey monster," he teased, poking him in the belly with his staff.

The little boy's eyes widened. "There's a monster in the bay of Monterey?" he gasped.

"Actually, I think she prefers to be called a plesiosaurus or something weird like that. And her name is Kelpie," he corrected. "And I don't think she'll appreciate you not knowing what she is when you know about her sister, Nessie," he added. Jack decided to leave out the part where she would sometimes stalk nonbelievers out into the ocean where she would sink their boat or knock the sailors into the water and proceed to eat them.

"Wait, her sister's the Loch Ness monster?" he asked, his eyes widening.

"Yep. And she hates it when little boys who don't know her name go into her bay," he teased. He leaned down to him and whispered in his ear, "I even heard that she has a taste for them, too. Especially when they haven't gotten enough sleep." He leaned back and smiled as Jamie scurried back into his bed and pulled the covers tightly over his head.

He laughed. "Good night, Jamie." He grabbed his staff and swung himself out of his room and on to the freshly fallen snow gently on the balls of his feet.

"Well now, what to do, what to do," he mused as he swung his staff over his shoulder and began to walk down the street. Just then, he felt something tug at his pants' leg. Surprised, he looked down.

Sandy looked back up at him with his golden eyes, and waved cheerfully. Jack laughed. "Hey, there, Sandy," he chuckled. "Didn't see you there."

The sandman flashed a golden North above his head. "North wants to see me? Why?" A picture of a microphone appeared above his head. Jack groaned. "He wants me for karaoke night? _Again?_" The little man nodded.

On the first Friday of every month, North would host a Karaoke Night at the North Pole for his Guardian friends. So far, Jack had been able to worm his way out of five. But now, without Jamie to provide an excuse, his worming out had come to an end. But that didn't mean he was going down without a fight.

"Well, tell him I'm not coming," he told Sandy stubbornly. "In fact, tell him I'm not coming _ever. _When is he going to realize that?" Jack exclaimed, kicking at the snow.

His friend shrugged, then flashed a question mark above his head, clearly directed at Jack. "Because I don't want to stand up on a stage and make a complete idiot of myself in front of everybody by showing them I can't sing!" he exclaimed. "It would just give Bunny another thing to laugh at me about," he grumbled, sitting on a mailbox. "And MiM knows I've had enough of that."

Sandy showed a picture of two yetis and a bag in between them, and shrugged, clearly saying, _Your choice._

"No, I don't want that again," Jack agreed, hopping down. He sighed, then looked at him. The little golden man gave him a smug look; he knew what he was going to say. "Fine, I'll go."

Sandy clapped his hands in delight, and shot off into the sky, a trail of gold dust falling after him.

Jack sighed. He _really _didn't want to do this. But, it was either this or being shoved in a bag again. He flew up into the air after him. "Hey, so how long is this thing?" he asked when he caught up to the sandman.

He paused for a second, then showed a wind-up clock, with the hands continually going. Jack groaned. "Wait, so I'm supposed to be at this thing for _hours?_" he demanded as they dove into the fog.

He shook his head, then stopped the clock with the small hand pointing at the nine- which, he realized, was the time was now. Then it began to tick slowly clockwise as the long hand went around once, twice, three times before both landed on the twelve, and it began to shake, the sand make a jingling sound like an alarm. "Ah, 3 hours," he corrected himself. "But still, that's a long time. I mean, don't you have dreams to give and Tooth has teeth to take and stuff?" he asked as they passed over the Atlantic Ocean.

Sandy pursed his lips, then showed a picture of him playing something on a table(cards?)while strands of gold dust sprinkled themselves over children in beds, then with Tooth's little fairies flying around them. Jack sighed. There really was no way out of this.

They flew on a bit more, then Jack asked curiously, "Is it fun?"

Sandy looked at him in surprise, then a rather sheepish smile crept on to his face, and his face became dreamy. An image of what looked like Toothiana appeared over his head.

"Wait, what does Tooth have to do with this?" he demanded, his voice coming out a lot harsher than he had expected.

He looked up at Jack in surprise. Suddenly, his face brightened started clapping his hands. Confused, he looked up, then saw North's Toy Palace rise up out of the snowy mist, like he had seen European castles do in scary movies that he had sneaked into a theater to watch. Except, of course, this place gave out the presence of cheerfulness and wonder instead of fear.

_Fear. _The dark word caressed him in the same manner that Pitch had used. Jack shivered, and his friend looked up at him with a questioning look in his eyes. "It's nothing," he assured him, though he wasn't so sure about it himself.

They flew past the patrolling yeti, and after a couple stern words with Phil about writing his name in Jamie's journal again, they reached the part of the hideout that Jack had carefully avoided on his visits to see North when they were planning how Jack's snow days and North's Christmas, which was coming in over two months, would coincide: the auditorium. On his first visit to the North Pole since they had defeated Pitch, the jolly man would try and get him into the room to perform little songs for him or to get him upstage. Since then, he had avoided the spot.

Until now.

He felt jitters in his stomach as the wind settled him down on the cool marble floor. It had rows of seats, set up as if they were at a concert. Hundreds of yetis already filled over half of them, looking eager for the show to start.

"Hey, Sandy," he began, as a thought occurred to him, "since you can't talk, what do you do?" he asked, leaned against his staff.

The sandman conjured up a sand piano and pretended to play it before it melted away into the ground. "Ah, piano. You know, I actually can play the piano," he added. Sandy looked at him in disbelief and shook his head. "No lie!" he exclaimed. "Learned from this one kid-"

"Ah! Jack! Sandy! There you are, my friends!" North appeared out of nowhere and scooped up the two in a rib-crushing hug. "I was glad you came, Jack! I thought I would have to send yetis out for you like first time, eh?" He laughed as he set them down.

"Jack, you made it!" Tooth flittered in front of him, her violet eyes wide open with excitement.

"Hey, Tooth," he grinned. He opened his arms out. "Don't I get a hug?"

She laughed and flew into his open arms and wrapped her own around him tightly. Suddenly, she frowned, and hovered a bit out of his arms, though they were still wrapped around each other. "Have you been eating? You're so skinny." She flew around him a couple times, taking in his thin frame.

"Uh, Tooth? I'm a spirit. I don't eat," he reminded her, swinging his staff on to his shoulder, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach that fluttered every time her small hands came in contact with his skin.

"You _can, _you just choose not to," she corrected him, but then she smiled and threw her arms around his neck. He gently hugged her from around the waist. "But I'm glad you came," she whispered.

"Yeah, we thought we have to send her to go and drag you out here," Bunny's Australian accent rang through the room as he hopped towards the four. "Probably would have taken shorter to get you here if ya know what I mean." He winked mischievously at him.

"Ah, Bunny," Jack greeted, a smirk on his face as he and Tooth parted from their embrace. "There you are. I thought you would be cuddled up with that new rabbit, what's her name? Cassie? Carla?"

"Cassandra," he snarled. "And we've been going steady for three months, now."

"Wow, practically married. And you actually remembered her name this time," he congratulated. "Then again, I think's kind of hard to, seeing as she has it tattooed on her—"

"Why don't we get started with show?" North interrupted hastily, clapping his hands together. "Tooth! You're up!"

"What?" she squeaked.

"What is wrong?" he asked.

"Do I have to go?" she whined uncharacteristically. Jack raised an eyebrow, confused by this sudden change of behavior.

"But Tooth, you love going first," Bunnymund interjected, a puzzled look on his furry face. Sandy nodded his head in agreement.

"I know, but I think I might have a-um, uh, a sore throat!" she proceeded to make a cough that sounded weak even to Jack.

"Wait, is it because Jack's here?" he demanded. "I promise, I will chop off his lily-livers if he dares say a word against ya singing. No offense, mate," he added to Jack.

He shrugged against his staff. "None taken."

"Ah, I see what troubles you. Jack will appreciate your music as we all do," he said soothingly, shooting a glance at Jack. "Won't you, Jack?"

He looked at Tooth, his frosty-blue eyes meeting her limpid violet ones. He tried to hide the warm, tingling feeling in him when their eyes met. "I promise," he said softly, "I won't laugh."

"See?" North exclaimed. "There is nothing to be afraid of! Now, go up there and make good music!" With a hearty shove, he pushed Tooth all the way on to stage. She stumbled on to the platform with a squeak. "Sandy! Piano!" he roared. The little man immediately flew over to the glossy black piano in front of the stage and bounced in the seat eagerly. "Dim the lights!" he called as he, Bunny, and Jack took their seats in the front row.

Jack, being the rebel that he was, turned his chair backwards and sat in it.

"North, please!" Tooth begged as the room became dark except for the single beam shining on her. Jack almost wanted to shake North and show him that she clearly didn't want to sing.

"Sandy! Cue music!" he roared. "And you'll be fine, Tooth!"

She groaned, but stepped up to the microphone. Sandy cracked his fingers, then laid his hands on the piano keys, and began to play. Jack could faintly hear a band playing. Tooth took a deep breathe, her fists clenched at her sides, then began to sing. Her voice started out slightly shaky, but as she went on, it became firmer.

"_Heaven, bend to take my hand  
And lead me through the fire.  
Be the long awaited answer  
To a long and painful fight._"

"_Truth be told I've tried my best,  
But somewhere along the way  
I got caught up in all there was to offer,  
And the cost was so much more than I could bear._"

Jack stared up at the fairy, whose face had become relaxed. It was almost hard to believe that that beautiful sound that he could hear was her. _Almost._ "She was afraid of me laughing at this?" he hissed to Bunny, his face one of wonder and amazement.

"I know right, mate?" he whispered back.

"_Though I've tried, I've fallen...  
I have sunk so low.  
I messed up,  
Better I should know.  
So don't come round here  
And tell me I told you so..._"

She paused for a couple seconds before continuing,

"_We all begin with good intent,  
Love was raw and young.  
We believed that we could change ourselves;  
The past could be undone._"

"_But we carry on our backs the burden  
Time always reveals,  
In the lonely light of morning  
In the wound that would not heal.  
It's the bitter taste of losing everything  
That I've held so dear-!"_

"_I've fallen..._  
_I have sunk so low_  
_I messed up_  
_Better I should know_  
_So don't come round here_  
_And tell me I told you so..._"

Jack felt himself rest his chin on the back of the chair, and continued to watch her, unable to take his eyes off of her. She let the music play on for a while, humming to the song, then went on,

"_Heaven, bend to take my hand.  
I've nowhere left to turn.  
I'm lost to those I thought were friends,  
To everyone I know._"

"_Oh they turn their heads embarrassed,  
Pretend that they don't see.  
But it's one missed step,  
One slip before you know it.  
And there doesn't seem a way to be redeemed..._"

Bunny turned his head from the singing fairy, about to make a snide comment to Jack, when he froze when he saw his face. His eyes were wide and full of wonder and amazement as he stared up at Tooth, a little dreamy look on his face, eyes that never wanting to part from her face. It reminded him of the little baby doll that North loved to shove in people's face, except put on a teenage boy. He suddenly realized why, then snickered, and elbowed North lightly. The big man turned to look down at the rabbit. He pointed at Jack, who was still star struck as she continued to sing on. North watched them for a second, then chuckled softly. "I think, when Tooth reveals her feelings to Jack, she will not be disappointed," he murmured to Bunny as she finished the song.

"Humph," Bunny muttered, his face suddenly sour.

"_So don't come round here_  
_And tell me I told you so..._"

Sandy ended the song with a flourish on the piano, and the two of them bowed as the yetis and elves began to clap and cheer. "Thank you, thank you," said a flustered Tooth, before flying over to the other Guardians. "Well, how did I do?" she asked breathlessly, smoothing back the feathers on top of her head.

"Great, as always," North complimented warmly.

"Bloody terrific," Bunny agreed. "Jack, what did you think, mate?"

It took a second for the words to get through to him. He blinked, then sat up straight, running his fingers through his hair as he searched desperately for words. "You, uh, sing, um, really well," he said finally, laying his staff on his lap.

"Really well?" Bunny snorted. "You staring at her as if she was the—" Ice frost shut his lips together. The rabbit's eyes widened in alarm as he realized what Jack had done, and he clawed frantically at the ice.

Jack smirked as he laid his staff back on his lap, then turned back to the tooth fairy. "But you do sing really well," he said softly. She blushed, her cheeks tinged with pink, though her eyes shone with gratitude.

Sandy gave the thumbs up. "Okay, Sandy is ready to do new song. Jack—" North pointed a big finger at the ice spirit—"it is your turn."

"What? "Uh, no, sorry big guy. I don't sing."

"Of course you do! You are Guardian!"

"Yeah, but singing up on stage in front of a bunch of yeti and elves wasn't in the résumé!"

"Come on, Jack, I'm sure you'll do great," Tooth said warmly, resting her hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, as well as a jackrabbit in Kentucky," Bunny snorted, having gotten the frost of his lips.

"Jack, in order to really be part of Karaoke Night, and therefore a Guardian, you must sing," he told the young boy. Jack rolled his eyes. "Perhaps this will change your mind?" North said slyly as he pulled out something from behind his back.

His blue eyes widened as he took in the sight, and swallowed hard. "Is-Is-Is that a—" he stammered.

"A vintage 1965 Fender Duo-Sonic electric guitar? Why yes, it is."

"How did you know?" Jack asked, his eyes fixed on the guitar with majestic flames on it.

"The one time you tried to stay good all year was the first time you ever sent in a Christmas wish-list. And this was on it." He waved it teasingly in front of him. "I assume you know how to play it?" North asked.

"Of course, why else would I ask for it?" He hopped to his feet and tentatively touched it. "Wow….." he whispered.

"You may have it, Jack," he said, as he handed it to him. His face lit up as he reached to grab it. "But _only _if you sing," he said, snatching it out his hand.

He nodded eagerly, his hands still reaching for the guitar. "Okay, then. Here you go." He gave him the instrument, and he eagerly slid the strap over his head.

"Wow," he whispered. He marveled at the glossy guitar that laid in his hands. Jack cautiously strung a few strings, checking the tune.

When everything seemed to be in order, he sighed and looked up at North. "Do I really have to sing?

"Look, we all had to get up there and sing, mate," Bunny put in. "And _you _are no exception."

He glanced at everyone. They were all watching him with wide eyes. He felt his heart pound loudly in his chest. He had never had so many eyes on him before-what did they want from him? Besides the obvious, of course. Did they want him to be a secret opera singer or something? Would they disappointed if they thought he couldn't sing?

_Okay, Jack, don't overthink it. Just get up there and sing a song. _He flew over to the top of the stage. "You know what song?" he asked Sandy, who was playing with the keys. The little man sat up straight and nodded, his bright face suddenly eager.

Jack glanced back at the other Guardians, who were sitting in their chairs, looking expectantly at him. "You guys have been waiting for a long time for this, haven't you?" he realized.

"Only for about five months," Bunny called out, laughing. Jack could almost feel the rabbit's desire for the boy to mess up.

He sighed, then pulled up a stool and gently laid his staff at his feet and leaned into the microphone. He tapped it a few times with his index finger before speaking into it. "Uh, hi, everybody? Um, I'm here, uh, to play a song for you guys. This goes out to my fellow Guardians, Tooth, North, Bunny, and Sandy. So, enjoy." He leaned back and started strumming the first few notes.

He played the few guitar for a while before the band joined in. Apparently, Bunny could find no fault with his playing, because all he did was scowl at him.

Jack looked at Tooth; she nodded at him, her face full of encouragement. He felt himself relax slightly. Jack took a deep breath, then began:

"_Here I am, this is me._  
_ There's nowhere else on Earth I'd rather be_  
_ Here I am, it's just me and you._  
_ Tonight we make our dreams come true._"

Bunny rolled his eyes as Jack winked at Tooth, who blushed a deep red. This spurred him on, and he started to playing a bit louder.

"_It's a new world - it's a new start.  
It's alive with the beating of young hearts.  
It's a new day - it's a new plan.  
I've been waiting for you..._"_  
_

He smiled to himself.

"_Here I am."_

Jack paused, though his fingers continued to play for a while before jumping back in.

"_Here we are - we've just begun.  
And after all this time, our time has come.  
Yea, here we are - still goin' strong!  
Right here in the place where we belong!_"_  
_

"See? The boy _can _sing!" North exclaimed, clapping Bunny on the shoulder. The Easter Bunny rolled his eyes.

"_It's a new world - it's a new start! _  
_ It's alive with the beating of young hearts!_  
_ It's a new day - it's a new plan. _  
_ I've been waiting for you.__"_

Jack gazed around the room. "Here I am," he said softly. He stared down his guitar, conscious of everybody watching him.

"_Yeah, here I am._"

He could practically feel Bunny's eyes boring into him, just waiting for him to mess up on the super long stretch of just guitar playing.

"_Here I am._"

Jack became nervous. What if he did mess up? What would everybody think? What would _Tooth_ think?

"_Here I am._"

A sudden anger filled him. They wanted a show? He'll give them a show.

Jack jumped down from his seat, and started play the guitar solo, his grin even wider before. He flew down off of the stage, playing the guitar with a sudden burst of passion, laughing and doing a little dance with his feet. He slid down to the end of the row where Tooth was sitting.

"_I've been waiting for you._"

She blushed as he stopped in front of her, smiling as he softly sang the next verse to her.

"_Here I am. This is me.  
__There's nowhere else on Earth I'd rather be_."

He strummed his guitar a few more times before continuing.

"_Here we are._"

Jack grabbed Tooth's hand and pulled her to her feet, and cupped her chin in one hand and tilted her head up so that they were eye-to-eye, still managing to strum his guitar with his remaining hand. Singing softly, trying to ignore all the stares on him and Tooth, he continued,

"_It's just me and you.  
__Tonight we make our dreams…._

Jack took one of her hands in his free one and kissed the back of her hand as if she was a queen.

"_Come true."_

He grinned slightly as he released her hand, and she stumbled backwards back into her chair, her face a mixture of surprise yet delight. He laughed and back-flipped back on to the stage.

"_Oh! It's a new world! It's a new start!_

_It's alive with the beating of young hearts!_

_It's a new day! It's a new plan!_

_I've been waiting for you!"_

Jack paused for a second, looking at everybody in the crowd. "Here I am," he finished softly with a final light strum on the guitar. "This is me."

There was silence for a second, then everybody jumped to their feet, Toothiana and North among the first, applauding as hard as they could with the yetis and elves. Even Sandy floated off of his seat at the piano and began clapping. Bunny was the only one who stayed in his seat, scowling at the ground.

"Thank you! Thank you very much! Thanks everybody!" he said into the microphone, grinning. "Goodnight!" He threw up the peace-sign as the lights dimmed, and flew down from the stage and strode up to North. "Happy?" he demanded, though he couldn't erase the huge grin on his face.

"Happy? Happy?" He grabbed him by the shoulders and began to shake him hard enough to make his teeth rattle. "That was фантастический!" North exclaimed, dropping him. Jack rubbed his shoulders, wincing. "You should have done this long time ago!"

"Jack, you were fantastic!" Tooth cried flying in between them. "You sing..." she struggled to find the right word. "_Pulchre!_" she finally said.

He squinted at her. "Is that Latin?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, I switch to Latin when I can't find the right word in English," she explained, embarrassed, as she smoothed back her head feathers. He smirked as he tucked a stray feather back behind her ear.

"Okay, enough with the cuddly-muddy stuff, mate," Bunny put in, jumping in between them, ignoring the glare from Jack. "Can we move on to the next song? I was hoping that I would be able to sing tonight. I've been practicing," he added.

"Actually, I was hoping that I would get these two—" North grabbed Tooth's hand and pulled her over to where Jack was standing—"to do duet together. Wouldn't that be great?"

"Uh, actually, no, that would _not _be great," Jack said. Noticing Tooth's crestfallen face, he added quickly, "No offense.

"No, it's okay," she said hastily.

"I'll sing a duet with you if this show-pony won't, mate," Bunny offered.

"No! I want these two to sing duet!" North insisted. He grabbed the back of Jack's sweater and Tooth's wings and lifted them up into the air.

"Hey! Let me go!" Jack flailed around and kicked his feet, but North had an iron grip. He marched up on to the stage, where a second stool seemed to have magically appeared. He slammed them down on each one, and swung another microphone out of nowhere in front of Jack.

Jack glared up at the jolly man. "Come on, you're not serious?" he cried. "I mean, you just forced me to sing a song already and—"

"Ah! But you _chose_ to do that!" he reminded him. He bent down in front of them and whispered, "Now, you are singing Do Not Let Go by Bryan Adams and Sarah McLaughlin. Understand?"

"Do we have a choice?" Jack grumbled as he removed his guitar and handed it to him.

"Aw, come on, Jack. It'll be fun!" Tooth said excitedly, bouncing in her seat.

He turned his head to glare at the bouncing fairy, but his gaze softened when he met her bright eyes, filled with an almost childish light. He felt the frown on his face become a light smile.

"'Kay. Now, you two sing good music, kapeesh?" North said.

"Okay, North," Tooth said.

"Yeah, sure," Jack heard himself say, still busy staring at Tooth.

"Okay. _Mazel tov_, you two." He winked at Jack, then clapped them both on the shoulder and hurried back to his seat.

"Hey," Jack said to Tooth. "Remember, the story is that we were forced to do this," he whispered.

A confused look came on to her face, then she smiled and laughed when she saw how pale he was- well, pal_er_. "Don't worry, we'll do great," she assured him, helping sooth his nervousness, rubbing his shoulder. He tried to ignore the shivers running up and down his back.

"I hope," he muttered, though he couldn't help the grin growing on his face.

"Oh, the music's starting!" she whispered excitedly, clapping as the lights began to dim, leaving twin beams on them. Sandy began to play on the piano as the band that Jack still couldn't manage to locate joined in. "Get ready," she hissed to him. He nodded, and leaned into the microphone, then, out of the corner of his eye, saw the moon shining through the window. _Oh, shut up you._

"_I can't believe this moment's come.  
It's so incredible that we're alone.  
There's so much to be said and done,  
It's impossible not to be overcome._"

Jack tried to keep a bored, unwilling look on his face as he sang, to make sure North realized that he didn't want to do this.

_Will you forgive me if I feel this way?  
Cuz we've just met - tell me that's OK._

He gave her a playful shove at the last line. She giggled, then they sang together,

_So take this feeling, make it grow  
__Never let it - never let it—"_

Just then, Tooth started to sing her part. Jack froze, his mask of indifference slipping away, staring at her. "Go," he whispered, barely audible under Tooth's amazing voice.

_"Don't…let…go—"_  
_"You give me something that I can believe in," _he interjected_. _  
_"No, don't…let—"_  
_ "Go of this moment in time," _Tooth and Jack sang together.

_"Don't…let…go—"  
__"I can't explain the things that I'm feeling," _Jack mused, thinking about how they applied to himself.  
_"No, don't….let—"  
"No, I won't let," _he promised before they said together,  
"_Go._"

Jack got an idea, and nudged Tooth. She turned to him, looking at him as he began to sing to her,

"_Now would you mind if I bared my soul?"_

"_Bared my soul to you_," she echoed.

_"If I came right out and said you're beautiful?"_

Her eyes widened as he gave her a quick smile before turning back to the crowd. She hastily did the same, though he could see the pink tinged in her cheeks.

"_Cause there's something here I can't explain.  
I feel I'm diving into driving rain."_

"_Diving in to the driving rain,_" she echoed, turned her head again to look at him.  
_"You get my senses running wild,_" he continued.  
"_I can't resist your sweet, sweet smile._"

He stroked the right side of her cheek, earning one from her. He could faintly hear Bunny's snort over the sound of the roaring in his ears. They turned back to the audience, and continued together,

"_So take this feeling. Make it let it - never let it—"  
_"_Don't…..let….go—"  
_"_You give me something that I can believe in._"  
"_No, don't…..let—"  
_"_Go of this moment in time."  
_"_Don't….let…go—"  
_"_I can't explain the things that I'm feeling."  
_"_No, don't let—"  
_"_No, I won't let—"  
_"_Go."_

"_I've been waiting all my life—" _Tooth cried,  
"_All my life," _Jack echoed.

_"To make this moment feel so right."_

Jack slipped his hand into hers, and was pleased when she wrapped her little fingers around his own, and looked into Tooth's eyes as they sang together,

"_The feel of you just fills the night.  
__So, c'mon - just hold on tight."_

Tooth smiled at him, while squeezing his hand encouragingly during the pause from the music.

"_Don't…let…..go_—"

"_You gave me something that I can believe in_," he said warmly as the music started back up. Snow began to fall from the ceiling, and Jack grinned sheepishly. Tooth only laughed and caught one on her finger as she continued,

_Don't…..let—"  
_"_Go of this moment in time." _He swung her hand, smiling back.  
"_Don't….let…go—"  
_"_I can't explain the things that I'm feeling."  
_"_Don't….let—"  
_"_No, I won't let—_"  
"_Go….._"  
"_Don't...let—_"  
"_No, I won't let—_"  
"_Go…._"

"No, don't, don't…let go_,_"she whispered. "No, I won't…let go_._" Her hand slipped out of his. He looked at her, confused. She smirked, ruffling his hair as Sandy finished the song.

_So this is what it feels like to be friend-zoned, _Jack thought to himself as the crowd applauded loudly.

"Beautiful! Beautiful!" North called over the sound of his thunderous clapping.

"Thanks, North," Tooth replied as she flew down to him. "But I can't really take all of the credit. Jack was doing all the work," she said, gesturing to the pale boy had just flown down beside her.

"Aw, thanks Tooth. You weren't too bad yourself," he complimented.

"'Too bad'? 'Too bad'? Is that all you have to bloody say about her?" Bunny demanded as he stood up from his seat. "She was bloody brilliant! Much better than that little show you put up on the stage," he sneered.

"What show?" Jack asked, genuinely confused.

"That little hand-thing that you two were doing. Don't think we didn't miss it, mate," Bunny snarled.

"Oh, that?" He gave the Easter Bunny his old crap-eating grin and leaned against his staff, which had just been returned to him by Sandy. "I thought you wouldn't mind, you having a girlfriend and all."

"It was just a show, that's all," Tooth interrupted hastily, as Bunny looked about ready to beat him over the head with his boomerang. "Also, what have you prepared for tonight?" she asked, changing the subject.

Bunny grinned, all of the annoyance on his face suddenly wiped clean. "I thought you'd never ask." He jumped on to the stage and tapped the spot next to him with his foot, and a hole opened up next to him. A bunch of miniature egg statues hopped out of the tunnel. "Okay, mates, just like we practiced," he murmured to them as they marched into formation. Then he turned to Sandy. "Sandy, hit it!"

The little man gave him the thumbs up, then grabbed two drumsticks and started to bang on the two huge drums that, again, magically appeared on stage behind the microphone.

"What is he gonna do?" Jack whispered to Tooth as they sat down next to North and laid his staff on his lap as Sandy continued banging on the drums.

"I don't know," she whispered back as the lights dimmed and the band dimmed in.

"And where's the band?" he asked.

"Hush!" North hissed. "Show is starting!"

He rolled his eyes, and rested his chin in the palm of his hand as he watched Bunny beginning to dance along with his egg statues.

"_Keep rollin', rollin', rollin'._

_Keep movin', movin', movin'._

_Keep them doggies moving, rawhide!_

_Rain and wind and weather!_

_Hell-bent for leather!_

_Wishin' me girl was by me side!_"

The eggs rolled in front of him, and began singing in a deeper, more American accent, though Jack had no clue where their voices were coming from. They chanted,

"_Keep rollin', rollin', rollin'._

_Keep movin', movin', movin'._

_Keep them doggies moving, rawhide!_

_Rain and wind and weather!_

_Hell-bent for leather!_

_Wishin' me girl was by me side!_"

Jack watched as they began to what looked like grab partners and dance around each other and even over as they leaped over one another when the chorus began.

"_Move 'em on, head 'em up_

_Head 'em up, move 'em out_

_Move 'em on, head 'em up_

_Rawhide!_

Bunny, somehow managing to get through all of the eggs without crushing a single one, made it to the front, and started singing over the rest of the chanting,

"Set_ 'em out, ride 'em in,_

_Ride 'em in, count 'em out,_

_Count 'em out, ride 'em in_

_Rawhide!_"

The eggs rolled to a stop in front of his feet in the shape of a bunny on top of each other before the last few bongs. The audience clapped, though Jack noticed that he didn't receive a standing ovation.

"Well, mates?" he asked as he hopped back down on to the ground.

"That was amazing, Bunny!" the tooth fairy exclaimed. _You didn't say pulchre_, Jack thought to himself, grinning.

"Wow, Bunny, I never knew you were a fan of Happy Feet 2," Jack said, grinning as he propped himself against his staff.

"Wha-What did you say?" he demanded, standing dangerously over the young Guardian.

"What? I'm being completely serious!" he exclaimed defensively. "They played that song in Happy Feet 2 and you guys seemed to do their version really well," he added.

"Why thank you, mate, I—wait a second!"

"He means that as compliment!" North put in hurriedly. "Right, Jack?"

"Hey, how he takes it is on him," he replied, throwing up his hands.

North groaned and leaned back in his chair. Suddenly, they heard a loud jingling sound. Everyone turned to see Sandy shaking an elf by the tip of his pointy hat by the piano. He dropped it, looking fairly irritated, and pointed at the piano, then himself.

"Oh, I forgot, Sandy! Each night, before we close Karaoke Night, Sandy plays the most wonderful piano solo in the whole world!" North explained to Jack's confused look.

"Aye, he plays a darn good solo if I do say myself," Bunny said proudly.

"Go ahead, Sandy! Play for us!" North called as Bunny hopped over to the seat next to him.

The sandman grinned and floated back into his seat. He cracked his knuckles, then laid his fingers on the piano.

"What's he gonna play?" Jack whispered to Tooth.

"I don't know. He's played something different every night for the past four hundred years," she replied, shrugging.

He nodded, impressed, and leaned back in his chair as the other Guardian began to play. Jack listened, trying to figure out if he could name the song. He guessed had already guessed that theme of tonight was movie soundtracks, so he searched his head for all the movies he had secretly sneaked into the theater to see.

It was slow, and hesitant. Sandy only had to press one key with each hand at a time. The song was...familiar. As if he had heard it once in a dream. Jack found himself humming along to it. "I'll be waiting here for you. Our love shall ever be….." he sang softly, matching the hesitant tone, without knowing it.

"You know the song?" Tooth whispered in surprise.

"I think so. I'm not sure," he whispered back.

"Keep on singing, it sounds nice," she encouraged.

He shook his head. "Nah. I've sung enough today. Maybe next time," he suggested.

"_Ruthless winds, raging seas.  
__Who has stolen my one true love?  
__Davy Jones of the Seven Seas.  
__Oh, bring him back to me..._"

Jack jumped at the unfamiliar voice. "Did you guys hear that?" he exclaimed, leaning over to look at his fellow Guardians.

"Shh!" Bunny hissed.

"I hear it, too," Tooth whispered.

"_Every day and every night,  
__Locked in darkness, all alone,  
__Many tears, my love, I have shed  
__Hoping you would come….._"

The voice was feminine, though deep. It was strong, yet soft, gentle yet firm. It seemed to fill up the entire room, and matched the pace of Sandy's playing almost perfect.

By now, all of the Guardians were searching for the source of the music. "Where is that coming from?" North exclaimed loudly.

Suddenly, the piano stopped. Everyone turned to see Sandy with a clearly annoyed expression. He flashed them a "do-you-want-me-to-play-or-not-?" face. "I am sorry, Sandy," North apologized. "Please, continue." The sandman continued to look annoyed, but he shrugged, then waved his hands over the piano. Jack stared as the sand began to mold and shape itself into a large organ. Sandy began to play with more ferocity, more passion. Jack could hear the voice again, matching each note and pitch, with equal power and strength.

"_Waves so high, hear them clash!  
__Thunderous as the lightning!  
__Calling me away from here,  
__And our love, shall I not bring?_"

"_All these years, oh, my sweet Goddess,  
__Bound to sail these wretched seas!  
__I have always thought of you,  
Oh, my dear Calypso…."_

Suddenly, the orchestra, though Jack couldn't find that, either, joined in, on a slightly higher pitch, sending shivers down the Guardians' back. Snow began to swirl around the room, roaring as if it was a blizzard, matching the passion of the instrument. Jack couldn't help it; the power of the music of the night was overpowering, and he was reacting in the only way he could without blurting out singing himself. The voice didn't have to fight to stay on top of Sandy's playing, even as he got louder. Passion and a swirl of emotions raged through the auditorium, shaking Jack to his very core.

"_Now, when I can step on land  
And feel the touch of the burning sand,  
When my path to you is clear  
I fear my end is near…"_

"_Calypso, cruel Goddess!  
__You shall pay for my suffering!  
__But when I see what I've done to you,  
__My heart does not dare to beat..._"

For a couple moments, the drums pounded themselves, then the orchestra started to play their part, and Jack suddenly felt worn out. He closed his eyes, and sucked in a deep breath. "Jack?" He opened his eyes to see Tooth watching him nervously, her bright violet eyes catching him off-guard. "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

"Hmm? Oh, don't worry about it. I'll be fine."

She bit her lip, then tentatively reached out, and rested her palm against his forehead, her fingers gently scraping away his bangs. Her fingers reminded him of silk- soft and warm. Comforting. Jack closed his eyes, and let himself enjoy the sound of music and the sweet touch of her hand.

He let it continue for about a couple minutes, then Sandy pulled out a sandy flute and began to play it, the sweet melody that sounded like the ones before whistling through the air. The orchestra began to play behind it after it played a verse, the violins and basses bringing out its volume. Just then, a burst of sound filled the auditorium. The wind began to pick up with the song. Jack's eyes flickered open, then widened."Whoa," he whispered.

"It's beautiful," she gasped, awestruck. Golden strands of sand started to stray out of Sandy and floated across the room, making it almost eerie, in a strange, beautiful way. They watched the golden strands with wonder-filled eyes, watching the golden _aurora borealis_ flicked across the air.

Suddenly, he felt Tooth's hand slide off of his head, and he glanced to see her blushing furiously as she turned away. He mourned the loss of the golden magic- and Tooth's touch- as the sandman brought them back into him. Sandy went back to playing the piano, playing the same hesitant melody as in the beginning. The snow swirled and spiraled to a stop, the iceflakes trailing off in different directions. Jack's eyes followed one upwards, and didn't even realize he was singing softly again until he heard his voice trail off on the last note.

"_Though your heart belongs to the sea,  
__I will still be true….  
__I'm here waiting patiently  
__And still in love with you…._"

He watched as one of the last snowflakes continue into the balcony, then, suddenly, it disappeared before it hit the wall. Jack frowned; what had it run in to? He squinted, trying to see where it had gone off to, then gasped.

Radiant blue eyes shone out of the shadows. They seemed to float there, without a body or anything to support it. Suddenly, they began to move, until a torso, neck, then finally, a head emerged from the shadows. A woman with long white hair and the skin the color of mocha watched him from the balcony, clad in what looked like a white night gown and a mask that covered her face. Jack was unable to take his eyes away from her, her piercing stare holding him where he stood.

She almost whispered the last couple verses, knowing it would bounce across the virtually silent room.

"_We sail, we sail through storm and flash.  
__We live in between night and death.  
__The night shows thee the face behind  
__A curse for endless time…._"

Everybody practically leaped to their feet as soon as Sandy finished the last note, roaring their approval. Tooth attacked Sandy in what could only be described as a fairy hug: the only thing more dangerous than a bear hug. The golden man attempted to writhe out of her arms as she hailed praises rapidly in Latin. He gasped for breath as she squeezed him like a boa constrictor. He was finally able to wriggle out of her grip by the time the other Guardians reached the stage.

All except for Jack. His eyes were still locked with the woman's, whose eyes seemed to freeze every nerve and muscle. She tilted her head, her long, wavy hair the color of snow covering the mask on her face. Suddenly, she smirked at him, and her lips began to form words.

"_Brava,  
Brava,  
Bravissima._"

Tooth turned away from her laughing friends to see that Jack was still standing in front of his seat, staring off into space. She frowned, and began to flitter near him. "Jack?" she called. When he didn't answer, she called his name louder. "Jack!"

He didn't hear her. Just then, the woman's eyes lit up. "_Jack Frost_." She half-sang, half-spoke his name, her voice as airy and light as a feather. The sound sent shivers through his body.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Tooth behind him, a concerned look on her face. "Jack, are you okay? You look a little white." She pressed the back of her hand against his cheek, and he had to suppress another shiver. "And your skin is like ice!" she exclaimed.

"He's Jack Frost, isn't he?" Bunny said, clapping his furry paws together as he came up to Jack and Tooth. "I must say, though, Jack, was the indoor blizzard necessary? Some of us are freezing enough."

"Aw, come on, Bunny, enjoy the snow for once!" the boy laughed, elbowing him lightly, trying to keep his eyes from flickering back to balcony.

He rolled his eyes. "Well, I have to get back to the Warren. See you next month!" He tapped the ground next to him, which opened up to the tunnels, and leaped in. The ground closed over him.

Sandy flashed a sandy sign of kids sleeping, then waved, and flew out of the room. "And then there were three," Jack muttered.

"You, too, should be getting rest, Jack," North said softly, laying a huge hand on his shoulder. "It is getting late."

"It's okay. I'll just find some tree to sleep in," he yawned, stretching.

Tooth and North glanced at each other. "Jack, how would you like to stay at the Tooth Palace for a while?" Tooth asked. "At least, until you can make a place of your own," she added hastily.

He couldn't believe his ears. Sleeping in the Tooth Palace? With _Tooth_? This was too good to be true. "Uh, yeah, sure," he stuttered. Realizing how stupid he sounded, he cleared his throat and added in a much more calm tone, "That would be nice."

"Great! I can't wait for you to try out the guest room! It hasn't been slept in in a long time," she confessed.

He raised an eyebrow. "How long is a long time?"

"About two hundred years."

"Ah." He wondered if it would look like fancy 1800s bedrooms or late colonial pioneer rooms.

North cleared his throat. "Well, you two better best be going! I must finish making my toys! Christmas is only few months away!"

"Okay, North!" Jack thought it was best not to mention that it was only October. He grabbed his staff and was about to make a dash for the door when he suddenly remembered his guitar. He ran back to his seat where it was laying, slung it over his back, then hesitated. He inhaled deeply, and then looked up at the balcony. He felt a jolt go through him when he realized he couldn't see the girl from earlier at all. Something curious went through him; he wasn't sure if it was relief or disappointment.

"Jack! You coming!" Tooth called from the doorway.

"Coming!" Jack tore his eyes away from the balcony, and followed after Tooth.

* * *

Ah, I can already imagine the POTO songs I'm going to write into this story! This is going to be AWESOME! Thank you so much, DogsLiveOn! :D

Fallen- Sarah McLaughlin  
Here I Am- Bryan Adams 3 (brought back a classic)  
Don't Let Go- Bryan Adams & Sarah McLaughlin  
Rawhide- Elephant seal Chorus (Happy Feet 2)  
Davy Jones' Lullaby(Music Box Version + Organ/Orchestra) -Hans Zimmer

I also made up most of the lyrics, but a couple verses I got from a few others. You should check out their videos:

1. Davy Jones' Lullaby WITH LYRIC- Stephanie Pitcher  
2. Davy Jones' Lullaby- Alex Mihai  
Brava- Phantom of the Opera

Comment below if you want me to continue.


	2. Tooth Palace- With A Twist

Sorry, no songs this chapter. But the next one definitely, because that's where the fun begins! :D

I own nothing.

* * *

On the way to the Tooth Palace, Tooth was still blithering on about the Davy Jones's Lullaby song that Sandy had done. At any other time, he would have been happy to hear Tooth talk about something so obsessively besides teeth, and would have been even more pleased to know that it was about him. But at the moment, Jack was too preoccupied with something that seemed a little bit more important than Tooth's- momentarily- mindless chatter.

"And then you just made the wind fly all over place without even using your staff!" she exclaimed, doing figure-8s above him before zooming back down to his side. "How did you do that?"

"I don't know. I just did," he shrugged, not quite listening. He couldn't get the image of the woman in white on the balcony out of his head. It was almost as if she had managed to permanently brand herself into his mind just by the heat of her gaze.

"Well, it was truly amazing, Jack. Truly," she said warmly. Something in her voice made him turn his head. He tilted his head slightly to the side, and saw that she was watching him with large, awe-inspired eyes. He couldn't help but smiled at her, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach.

"I'm really glad you came," she said softly. "Before you, Karaoke Night was, well, kind of boring," she admitted, crossing her arms.

"What? Karaoke Night with the Guardians? How could THAT be boring?" he demanded.

She shrugged. "It just wasn't exciting. Don't get me wrong, Sandy is terrific with the drums and piano, and North plays the bagpipes really well, and it's really funny when Bunny tries to sing an American song," she giggled, then sighed. "But it just wasn't that much fun."

"But what about you?" Jack couldn't help himself from asking.

"What about me?"

"Your singing."

She chuckled wryly. "Jack, you heard me up there. I can't sing worth a quarter," she said sadly.

"Toothiana!" He grabbed her arm and yanked her to a stop in midair. "Don't you EVER say that about yourself. I wasn't lying at all when I said you sang well. It was understatement. You sing—" he struggled to find the word she had used earlier. "Pulacherry?" he tried.

She laughed. "_Pulchre_," she corrected, poking at some snow that had fallen on to his nose- for he had accidentally began to make it snow in the air around them.

"Yeah, _pulchre_. You sing beautifully. You're like a, um, a—" He looked around for inspiration, then found it as a snowflake fell in between them. "A snowflake!" he exclaimed as he caught it in one hand, and held it out to her.

"A snowflake," she repeated, trying not to laugh.

"A snowflake. They're amazing, they bring little sparkles of joy with them," he teased, earning a laugh out of her, then flicked it up on to his index finger. "And each one is unique," he said softly, holding it up to her.

"I thought that was a myth."

He shook his head. "Each one is different. Each one has their own charm to it. Just like you."

"A snowflake," she repeated, though this time there was a glimmer of respect in her eyes as she reach out to touch it. He held it in place as she tentatively ran her finger along the thin frost formation. "But they're nothing like me," she insisted as she pulled her finger away.

"Yes, you are! You're both are amazing and unique and graceful and beaut—" He bit on his tongue.

"And what?" she asked, curiosity plain on her face.

He swallowed. _Say it. Say it. Beautiful_, he thought. "Beau—" he tried, but cracked on the last note He laughed nervously while tugging at collar or his sweater.

"Is it getting hot out here or is it just me?" he tried to joke.

She raised an eyebrow. "You're Jack Frost. You bring snow wherever you go."

"Yeah…." He let the snowflake melt, and shuffled in the air, embarrassed.

To his surprise, she hugged him. He stood there, arms out on each side, unsure what he had done or said to earn a hug. "You're a lot sweeter than I thought you would be, Jack," she told him as she pulled back, and ruffled his hair affectionately.

He blushed, his cheeks turning blue instead of red. "Thanks. Now, let's get back to the palace so I can get some sleep. I think I'm about to pass out," he fake-yawned. An idea popped into his head. He grinned mischievously at Tooth. "Last one back is a melted snowball!" he shouted before zooming away into the blizzard.

"Oh no you don't!" Tooth raced after him, her eyes narrowed in concentration to get through all of the wind and snow. She had been at this for over a thousand years and knew the wind patterns as well as the back of her hand to navigate her home, while Jack, for all of his powers, could barely navigate himself through the wind and sleet. Jack didn't even notice when she flew past him until he made it to the Tooth Palace and she was waiting in the lobby of the main castle for him, which was modeled like the castle rooms of medieval times, with long comfy sofas and bookcases along the walls and a huge fireplace with a fire going.

"Tea?" she asked, trying to hold back the grin on her face as she held up a cup to him from the tea set on coffee table.

He looked at her incredulously. "How did you get—I mean, how did you past me? I didn't even see you! And how do you fly that fast?" he babbled as he took the cup from her.

"I have my ways," she said mysteriously, winking at him.

He laughed and took a sip from the cup. It was hot—Tooth was the only one that knew that he wasn't just all about the cold—and tasted surprisingly good.

He sipped some more. It tasted like mint and chamomile. "Mmmm, this is really good, Tooth," he told her as he sat down in the cushy armchair next to her. "What is it?"

"SleepyTime tea," she answered, taking a sip from her own cup. "One of my favorites. Never had it?"

"Nope." He shook his head as he drank a little bit more from it. It scalded his tongue, but the flavor quickly soothed the pain. He eagerly downed the little tea cup before setting it down on the nightstand next to him and licking his lips.

"Wow, I've never seen anyone enjoy my tea more than me," Tooth teased as she refilled his cup and handed it back to him.

"Sorry," he muttered, and this time tried his best to drink it slowly.

They were silent for a while, staring at the fire, then Tooth finally said, "I've watched Pirates of the Caribbean. All four of them," she added.

Jack gaped at her. "But back at the North Pole you said—"

"I know. Sometimes I sneak out to see a movie every once in a while," she admitted. "The Hunger Game is my favorite. And Fantasia, the 1940 version."

"Really?" he asked, impressed. Those were his favorites, too. "My favorite segment's the beginning. When they're showing the instruments playing and the pictures. And the part about how they the world was created."

"Those are mine, too! And the Nutcracker! And I love the ending of it, too!" she exclaimed. Something flashed across her face, and her smile suddenly fell into a frown.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just…" she trailed off. "I was watching the 2000 version the other week in a boy's room who had left it on, and then the ending one came."

"Firebird Suite?"

She nodded. "Yeah, and I was watching the sprite and how she seemed to have been destroyed by the volcano spirit….and how she came back to life. It was just so powerful, how she was able to get over the effects of the eruption and make all of the forest come back to life." She shook her head. "It was so beautiful."

"I think, besides the beginning and the one about the whales, that was the best out of all of the segments. I think it told the story of Mount St. Helen," he said thoughtfully as he took a more careful sip from his cup. He winced at the memory of the erupting volcano, the magma shooting out, stinging him as he flew by, trying to cool down the lava as it ran down the hillside before it could reach the town below. "I was there," he said so softly that Tooth barely caught it.

"You were there? When it erupted?" she gasped.

Jack nodded. "It was bad. I was trying to make it snow up there for the last time, it being May and all, and then I just heard a loud boom, and I looked behind me and…" He could feel the ash clouds going over him, choking him as he desperately tried to find out way out of the dark smoke. He shuddered.

"Was it that bad?" she whispered. He nodded, unable to get words out. He had lost his arm, and it was only when he had dived into the snow far, far north, so that the cold would bring back the lost appendage. "Jack, I'm so sorry." She gently ran her fingers along the edge of his jaw. Her hand was so warm against his skin, warmer than the tea he had just swallowed; it seemed to pierce through his skin and fill him with that deliciously annoying warm feeling in him. Without thinking, he caught her hand and gently pressed it against his cheek.

She didn't say anything, but her eyes slightly widened. Realizing what he had just done, he let her hand go, and his cheeks blushed a slight blue. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's okay," she said hastily, her own cheeks pink. Tooth smoothed back her head feathers, unsure of what to say, then glanced at the other Guardian, who was studying the fire. "Hey, Jack?" He turned to her. "Promise you won't tell anyone? About me sneaking out to see movies? The others won't understand; they'll think I'm not paying enough attentions to my duties," she confessed.

The tense atmosphere was gone; he gave her his usual cheeky grin. "Or what? You'll give me a quarter?" he joked.

"I think I will, because in order for you to get a quarter, a tooth has to be knocked out," she said calmly, inspecting her knuckles. "I think a dollar would be more appropriate, what do you think?" she held up her fist threateningly.

Jack's eyes widened. "You wouldn't."

"Oh really?" she smirked. "Pitch thought the same."

"Hmm….well, this puts me at an interesting dilemma," he mused. "I want to tell the others so badly, but I don't want you getting hurt."

She frowned. "Me? Did you not hear what I just said?"

He flashed another dazzling grin at her. "Oh I heard exactly what you just said." Before she could even blink, he had her pinned down on the carpet, his fingers wrapped tightly around her wrists, her arms held up over her head, and positioned right over her so that she couldn't move.

"Hey!" she struggled underneath him while he laughed. "Jack! Let me up!"

"Or what?" he dared.

She looked up into his chrysalis blue eyes, and growled, "Jack Overland Frost, if you do not release me at this moment I'll sick my fairies on you!"

Jack frowned. "Aw, come on. Let's have a little _fun_," he whispered in her ear, his cold breath stirring against her feathers. She felt a shiver run through her. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers before gently pressing his lips on it. They were oddly warm, and she felt herself relaxing under his hold, instead of telling him to stop, though she was still confused. His grip on her loosened as he shifted his head and he had their foreheads touching again.

Blue stared into violet again. Then again, as he got a really good look at them, they were more of an amethyst color. _Amethyst_. That sounded a lot more beautiful than violet. It sounded so much more poetic. Maybe he should write a poem for her, add that in there. They were so beautiful, _she_ was so beautiful. The way she would just stare up at him with wide eyes, but didn't tell him to move or anything. Did she even _want_ him to move? Was she waiting for him to do something? Holy snowflakes, was she expecting him to _kiss_ her?

Jack was getting so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the increasingly loud jingling in his ears until it went over the voice in his head. He looked up, confused, then froze when he saw- out of all people to walk in on them- Sandy at the door entrance, holding a golden bell. His face was one of irritation and surprise.

"Sandy!" Jack exclaimed, a burst of air blowing him up to his feet. Tooth shrieked, and quickly flew to her feet. Jack realized how guilty they must have looked, on the ground with their clothes rumpled, their faces so close together- _Don't think about that right now! _"I, uh, I didn't see you there!" He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. The little man crossed his arms and looked up at Jack with a stern face. "What? Tooth and I were just having a little fun," he said defensively, putting his hands on his hips.

The sandman rolled his eyes, but didn't sign anything. Instead, he just pulled out a sheet of papers and held out a couple to Jack. He took them hesitantly.

"What's this?" he asked as he handed some to Tooth. Sandy started flashing a bunch of signs above his head so fast that Jack could barely tell one from another. "Uh, dude? That's not really helping."

"These are the songs we're going to do at the Winter Concert," Tooth exclaimed as she looked them over.

"Winter Concert?"

"Yeah, it's this huge competition where spirits get together and sing, like with a glee club," she explained. "North holds it on the winter solstice, to celebrate the beginning of winter, and a Christmas one the day before Christmas Eve." She looked over the song lyrics. "Hmm, it says the theme is Africa this year."

"Wait, how come I've never heard of this?" he demanded.

"Because he only invites the nice spirits," she said carelessly, then froze. "Oh, Jack! I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's okay," he cut her off. "I understand." Then he turned to the sandman, who was reading his own set of lyrics. "So we're going to be practicing for this?" Sandy nodded.

"Two of us get a solo, then there's one or two duets, and then there's the grand finale," she explained. "But that doesn't seem the case this year. Hmm, it looks like we're doing another duet together," she frowned.

"Aw, hoping to get one with Bunny?" he teased, though he was glad that he and her were able to sing another song together.

"Actually, you got that," she said wryly.

"WHAT?"

"Look for yourself."

He flipped through the songs, then found that he and Bunny were singing "One Day" together. He groaned. "And I don't have a say in this, do I?"

"Not at all," she said cheerfully, then groaned herself. "I have three solos! Three!"

"Don't feel so bad, we'll be singing behind you," he assured her. "All of the songs are group songs."

"I know, but I've never had this many solo parts, although, you have three, too," she said, looking at his. "Wow, North really did change it up this year. Waka Waka, Maware Maware, Ke Nako, One Day, Shosholoza, and Sign of a Victory. All songs from the Listen Up album in 2010."

"That was a good album," Jack put in, then turned to Sandy, who was still reading over his own script. "Get any parts?"

"Sandy usually plays the instruments," she said. "What do you have to play this year?" she asked, turning to him. Sandy flashed a piano, a set of drums, a flute, a violin, a bass, and what looked like a pair of maracas over his head.

She whistled. "Better start practicing on those."

He flashed them the thumbs-up sign, then turned to leave, but before doing so, he gave Jack the universal I'm-watching-you sign.

"Hey!" he cried.

"Don't get upset. Sandy likes to have his little joke once in a while," she teased, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Humph," he grumbled. Changing the subject, he inquired, "What about the songs for the Christmas Concert?"

"Hmm? Oh, we only get those if we get a hit at this one," she told him. "North will give us the songs after it's over."

"Have you ever not won?"

"Once. It was just after Bunny joined us. His accent threw us off," she admitted. "But North was able to find him some songs that wouldn't mess us up too badly."

"Ah, nice to know."

She saw the mischievous look in his eye and immediately knew what he was thinking. "Don't you even DARE think about teasing him again!"

"Or what? And don't say you'll punch me, because you'll end up right back on the floor."

She rolled her eyes. "You caught me off-guard, that's all. I could have easily stopped you I hadn't."

"Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow. "Are you on-guard now?"

"Yes, but—"

Jack, quick as a flash, had her pinned down underneath him in less than two seconds.

"As you were saying?" he grinned.

* * *

Jack was pleased to know that his room was actually more like a Victorian suite. It was beautiful, with lush velvet curtains, a few small peach-colored loveseats, and an old-fashioned desk in the corner. On the desk was a plain little oak box, with a small golden keyhole. He had tried to open it, but it was locked securely, despite its deceiving looks. He shook the box, and heard something rattling inside. He was considering rummaging through the drawers for the key. But then, something much more important occupied Jack's mind: the four-poster bead. He actually bounced on it a couple times in a moment of childish need that always seemed to just _appear_. Anyway, he gave the bed a couple bounces, laughing each time he went into the air. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. He hastily slid on to the floor, struggling to straighten out his rumpled clothes, and called, "Come in!"

Tooth opened the door, and peeked her head in. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's just fine," he said, sitting down on the bed. "Tooth?"

"Hmm?" She closed the door behind her and settled her wings as she lightly touched to the ground. She was

"Thank you, for rooming me for the night. Honestly," he said earnestly. "I'm really happy that I can stay in such a nice place for once. I hope that I haven't caused you any trouble."

"Oh, Jack, believe me, the pleasure is all mine," she assured, sitting beside him. Jack could feel the brush of her feathers through his sweater, soft as a-_wait a second!_ "I would hate to know that you're sleeping outside in the cold, with nowhere to stay."

"Well, I'm Jack Frost. I live for the cold, remember?" He nudged her playfully, and she giggled. He grinned, then a glint of gold caught his eye. He glanced at the wooden box on the desk, looking as plain and lonely as ever. He remembered his struggle trying to open it, and wondered what was so important inside that Tooth had to lock it up. He decided to ask her outright. "Hey, Tooth, what's in there?"

She craned her neck past him to see what he was talking about. "That jewelry box?" He nodded. She hesitated, as if debating on what to tell him, then said, "Do you really want to know?"

"Of course!"

"Okay, then." She stood up, and half-walked, half-glided across the room. Jack followed after her less gracefully, struggling to concentrate on his own feet instead of her tiny, delicate ones. She pulled open the top drawer and pulled out a small silver key. As she stuck it into the keyhole, it suddenly occurred to Jack that he should have looked through the drawers. But now she was opening the box, and he peered over her resting wings to see what was inside.

"It's a necklace," he said in surprise. And so it was. On a thin woven string of silver was a small crystal pendant, in the shape of a ragged rectangle, about as big as his palm, and thin as his thumb. It was plain, even more so when you realized that it was something of Tooth's, where almost everything she owned belonged in the Capitol from The Hunger Games. This...could have belonged to a cavemen in the Neolithic era. It seemed to glow slightly as she picked it up out of the box.

"It's not just any necklace," she insisted. "Have you ever heard of Atlantis?"

"Uh, a bit. It was a city that had sunken, like, thousands of years ago or something like that."

"Actually, it was an entire continent that went under the ocean after a series of earthquakes and tsunamis in one day," she corrected as she laid the pendant on the palm of her hand. "They were supposed to have superior technology and medicine, more advanced than what mankind these days could even dream of," she breathed. "What _we _could even dream of. But it wasn't enough," she murmured, staring at the necklace. "'For all good things must come to an end'."

"Were you alive? When it sunk?" he asked.

"Yes. But I still a little girl when it happened, though I had visited the city once. My mother brought me, wanting to show where she had come from. She allowed me to bring one of these back. But it never..." She trailed off, her forehead scrunching as she studied the crystal.

"Never what?"

She stood up straight, and suddenly shoved the necklace into his hands. "Hold it. Just hold it," she insisted when Jack began to protest. He rolled his eyes, but held still with it in his palms. Without a warning, the pendant suddenly began to shine. It wasn't a faint, subtle glow anymore. It was like the sun, illuminated in a light blue. "I knew it," she breathed. "I knew that something was up! When I saw it glowing...Put it on!" she urged.

She didn't have to say it; Jack was more than intrigued. He pulled the necklace over his head without protesting, and let the pendant rest on his chest. The shine exploded across the room, filling it with blinding light. Jack and Tooth had to shield their eyes as it shone. Jack suddenly felt something tugging at the edges of his mind. No, not tugging. More like _yanking._ He remembered how similar it felt when Pitch had invaded his mind just earlier this year, he struggled against it, beginning to panic as it began to shove his conscious further and further into darkness. Suddenly, Jack collapsed. "Jack!" Tooth cried. But he couldn't hear her; all he could hear were the sounds that didn't exist, seeing only what wasn't there...Screams and shouts, blood that flashed across his vision, pain that etched across his face...and in his heart...

_His breathing was ragged in his own ears as he sprinted across the rocky bottom in the canyon. He wasn't sure it was pursing him anymore, but the thought filled him with terror instead of relief. What if it found her? __The thought spurred him even more, and he was zipping through the canyon. Suddenly, he came to a midsection where the canyon divided into two separate winding paths. He slowed to a halt, and searched through his memories, but he couldn't remember which way he had came. Panic began to fill him. "Simone!" he called. "Simone, where are you?!"_

_"Don't! __Go back!"__ Her voice was raw with panic and terror. It came from the left. He immediately ran down the path, already preparing his weapon, a long light blue gun-like thing that looked like it was made out of crystal. Suddenly, a figure began zooming at him from the opposite way. She called out his name, a series of undistinguished vowels and consonant. "Go back, go back!" she cried, motioning for him to leave._

_Suddenly, a huge humanoid black arm swiped at her from the side, and she slammed into the wall with a sickening_ crack._"SIMONE!" he screamed. __She sank to the ground with a groan, but was conscious, as evident by her struggling to climb to her feet again. The long arm lunged at her again, but this time she rolled out the way, and it crashed into the wall with a thunderous shake. _

_There was a blood-curling scream, and the ground behind her began to crack into huge pieces. "Simone, get out the way!" he shouted, loading a silvery dart into the gun. She scrambled out of the way just in time. The ground suddenly ripped open, and something black and lumpy-shaped with multiple arms pulled itself out of the hole it had created. It lifted its long and ugly snout to the night sky, and screeched, a high-pitched, inhuman cry. He immediately pulled the trigger. Silver light burst out of the nozzle. The monster screeched again as it cowered from the light, which was sizzling right off of its misshapen body. It dove into the wall and disappeared.  
_

_He lowered the gun, breathing heavily, then ran over to her. She was crouched against the wall, gasping. "Simone, are you okay?" he urged, kneeling beside her. _

_She glanced up at him, then saw her eyes lock on something behind him. Before he could turn his head to see what she was looking at, he suddenly felt her hands on him, throwing him to the ground, then spread over him. He looked up just to see her shielding his body with hers before long black claws raked across the left side of her face. And suddenly she was almost thirty feet away from him on her back, the side of her face already covered in blood, welling from several deep gashes that dug too deeply into her skin The creature began to creep towards her, snarling as it pinned its ugly yellow eyes on her motionless body. _

_"NO!" he screamed, and, without thinking, threw himself on to its back. He clung to its hard, rough scales, then pulled the knife he had in his sleeve, and drove it into its back._

_It screeched, rearing back. He clung on to the knife, and as he slid down, he made sure that it stayed firmly in its back as he ripped his way down. He didn't care that it would pursue him to no end, as revenge for what he he had done. All he knew was that he had to make sure it didn't attack her again. Suddenly, one of its back arms reached behind and plucked him from its back. The talons cut into his stomach and chest as it lifted him up; he could see the blood drops fall. Suddenly, the world flew past him, and the next thing he knew, he was screaming at the top of his lungs in agony as he made a four-foot dent into the ground, having been slammed into the rock floor. A black shadow moved over him, then something hard and painful slammed into him, pushing him even deeper into the ground. _

_He could barely breath as the object lifted itself off of him. All he could see were bright spots and lights that didn't exist. He could easily tell that every bone in his body was crushed. Several of his ribs were digging into his lungs, he noticed. He choked on the blood in his throat, and spat it out on the ground beside him. Suddenly, a face appeared out of the series of spots. It was bloody, and it was unconscious, but it was still the most beautiful face that he had ever seen. "Simone," he whispered, reaching for her, ignoring the agonizing pain in his arm, just as the black shadow covered him again. He had to touch her, he just had to this one last time._

_He felt her hand, as soft and smooth as ever, glide beneath his own. He sighed, and closed his eyes. "I tried," he murmured, just before the shadow came down on him again._

_And everything went black._

Jack bolted upright, gasping. His body began to move jerkily, his torso wanting to cling to the ground and close his eyes and sleep and never wake up, while his legs wanted for him to run, to run and never come back to this place again. They finally came to a compromise, on his hands and knees. His hands scrabbled at the carpet, struggling to find something solid to hold on after going through something that shouldn't have been real, something to help him hold on to reality. Also to find something to keep him from hurling.

"Shh. Shh, it's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay." Tooth's voice, as light and feather as an angel's, reached through to him past the ringing of fading screams. He felt soft hands on his back, rubbing him soothingly. "Breath, Jack, just breath. Nice deep breaths, Jack."

He struggled to inhale, the air suddenly stale and sour. But eventually, he was able to breath again, and began to fight to slow down his heart rate. "There you go, just like that," she murmured beside him, patting him encouragingly. "Are you okay? Can you speak?"

He paused for a couple seconds, still trying to catch his breath, then nodded. "Yeah, it's just...I saw..."

She shook her head. "I should have never made you put that necklace on. Come on, let's take it off."

"No!" His hand clutched at the pendant before he even knew what he was doing. Tooth stared at him, her eyes wide with confusion. If he was honest, he felt the same way. Why on Earth would he want to keep something that would show something as horrible as _that? _But, he felt an- an _attachment _of sorts to it. Maybe that was a one-time thing, and it wouldn't happen again?

"Jack, we have to get that thing off you. I didn't realize how dangerous the crystal was, and I still don't know what else it could do to you," she warned.

"It's...it's okay. I think...I think I got it now," he said as he stood up.

She stood up with him, her face still creased in worry. "Jack, are you _sure?_"

He nodded. "But...in case something like that ever happens again, I want you to just take it from me." He hesitated, then tenderly took her hands between his own and held them up. "No matter what I say, or beg or plead."

She nodded. "I will. You can trust me."

"Thank you, Tooth." He let her hands fall from his, and took a step back, rubbing his arm. "I should be getting to bed," he muttered.

"Yeah..." She hesitated, as if she didn't want to leave him alone, then sighed and walked to the door. "Goodnight, Jack," she called over her shoulder.

"'Night." He turned away as the door closed behind her. His mind felt funny. The tugging had stopped, but there was a presence that did not belong to him. It was smug, and it was possessive. He could only get one thing out of it before it vanished.

_Mine._

* * *

Yeah, so I REALLY hope that some of my Talent Show readers are reading this, because some of this stuff in THIS story REALLY helps with the OTHER story, because it provides information that would take a longer time to reveal in Talent Show, or things I wouldn't reveal at all, or couldn't. So now you've see a glimpse _from the other side. _*Twilight Zone Music Plays*


	3. Hardwork- With A Helping Hand

Happy belated New Year!

Sorry about the super late update! My mind was so concentrated on Talent Show that I completely forgot that I had started another story. I can't believe I haven't updated this since last year! O.O I really need to get my priorities straight.

I own absolutely nothing.

* * *

Jack spent the next few weeks practicing his parts alone, taking the fact that the Guardians had never lost at the Winter Concert seriously. Then, he was sure of his parts, he went over to the other Guardians to rehearse with them.

On the first day, he went over to North's first, to ask him about how he should do the dance moves. North told him to sit down on the edge of the stage, and to watch. "You will have to do these moves in the first song," he told Jack, "so you better start a-practicing on them." Jack nodded, and focused his eyes on North, thinking that he was ensuring his memory of the moves. He stared in awe and mostly shock as North somehow managed to do a series of advanced ballet movements that he had seen even advanced ballerinas struggle with. He was surprised that such a big man could be so graceful and flexible. No- not surprised. His jaw was reaching his chest by the time North was done.

"What?" North asked when he had finished, see Jack's gaping mouth.

"Where- where did you learn that?" Jack stammered.

"Ah, it not matter. What _does_-" Jack yelped as North picked him up by his hoodie scruff and plopped him down on the stage. "-is that _you _learn to do it, Jack Frost."

"Um...okay."

"Now, let's try and do the _fermé._ Is the easiest, yes?" North did the move, a deceivingly easy looking move, where he jumped, then closed his working leg to the other.

Jack tried to imagine himself doing it, how his legs would move, where he would put all of his body weight. He took a deep breath, and leaped forward-

And somehow ended up on the ground on his back.

"Ah..." North sighed, bringing his hand down the side of his face. "We have a long way to go."

"Cue the 'I'll Make a Man Out of You' song," Jack groaned.

As the day went on, and Jack's jacket got even more dusty, North suggested that he went to Bunny, to make sure that they had their terzetto in order. Jack agreed, feeling sore from all the times that he had somehow managed to kick himself and land on the floor. He wasn't the most graceful when it came to dancing, he had realized early on. He sorely hoped that he would have all the moves down by the time it came to dance with everybody.

"Hey, Bunny," he greeted when he landed in the Warren, his guitar strapped to his back.

Bunny was sitting on one of the nearby rocks, painting one of his eggs. He glanced up, then looked back down at his egg. "Well, whadduya know. The Frostbite actually came."

Jack rolled his eyes as he rested his staff against the Easter Egg Island egg statues. "Come on, Cottontail, let's get this done with."

The pooka put the finished Easter egg on top of the pyramid next to him, then pulled out his song sheet from the grass as Jack took out his from his hoddie pocket. "You ready?" he asked.

"Kind of. Let me just find the starting key." He slid his guitar over his shoulder, which he had been finely tuning every single day. He strummed a cord, and made sure to memorize the sound. "That's it, right?" he asked Bunnymund.

"Sounds like. You done yet?"

"Sheesh, keep your fur on, I'm ready."

"Okay, one three. One, two-"

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Is North going to be singing the bass line? Or you?"

"Does it really matter, mate?"

"Yes."

Bunny exhaled in irritation. "North's singing the bottom line. Now will we get on with it?"

"Sorry." Jack began to strum his guitar, reading the notes on the sheet on his lap. He started tapping his foot to keep beat. "Okay, one, two, three-" They began together.

"_I feel my body shivering_  
_Every fiber of my being anticipating_  
_That you and me, we are making history..._"

"And then North will be repeating history, right?" Jack asked in the pause. Bunny nodded.

"_And as a member of the human race,_  
_I want to free my mentality and use my ability_  
_To get to where I-_"

"Hold on, mate," Bunny interrupted, getting up from his rock and went over to him. "You're going too high on 'free' and 'use', and it's not a sharp on these notes on the guitar." He pointed to them on his sheet. "It's '_free my mentality and use my ability_'," he sang, correcting Jack's wrong notes.

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's okay, mate. Everybody's nervous their first time." He gave him a reassuring pat on the back before sitting back down on the rock. "Let's go again. From the top." Jack nodded, and they went again.

"_I feel my body shivering,_  
_Every fiber of my being anticipating._  
_That you and me, we are making history..._"

"_And as a member of the human race._  
_I want to free my mentality and use my ability_  
_To get to where I want to be-_  
_I want to be free..._  
_I want to be free..._"

The rest of their rehearsal was spent correcting wrong notes and pitchy tones on both sides. Bunny could easily tell that Jack was getting frustrated. "Mate, you can't master a song in day," he said impatiently.

"But it's not that hard of a song!" he exclaimed. "Look, it's made up of-what? Five notes? Six?"

Bunny rolled his eyes. "It's gonna take time, mate. Just give it time." Jack glared at him, then sighed, his head falling. For a fleeting second, Bunny felt a flash of pity towards the teen. He sighed. "Look, mate, why don't you go over to Tooth's? Sheila's bound to be going berserk, all those solos North gave her. Could do with some company."

"Okay." He slid his guitar over his back and picked up his staff. "I'll be back tomorrow," he called as he jumped into the air, and flew to the tunnel that led him out.

"Oh joy," Bunny muttered, though a slight smile curled his lip.

Practice with Tooth had gone a lot more smoother than with the other male Guardians. He was only in the chorus, and the notes were easy- though the pronunciation was slightly difficult in Waka-Waka. Tooth, who somehow knew how to speak every language, patiently corrected him. In truth, most of the time, it was Jack calming Tooth down. She was stressing more her parts than Jack had been earlier. It was a welcoming feeling for Jack, to know that someone was just as nervous and edgy as he was, that he wasn't the only one making a big deal out of it.

The sun was beginning to rise by the time Tooth was completely satisfied with her singing jack's opinion, although he had told her three hours ago- or four?- that she sounded perfect. "I'm so glad I have you here," she said to him, and flashed a smile at him that nearly made his heart stop. "I swear, if you didn't come over today, I would have gone _insane_," she moaned as she flopped on to his bed.

"Then it's a good thing I did, because I don't think Bunny can sing falsetto," he grinned as he knelt beside her.

She laughed, flinging her arm over her face. "Oh my goodness, could you imagine Bunny singing a falsetto? Just-" She broke off, laughing even more.

"I'm not sure if it's possible, but I think, if he somehow did, the world would explode."

"I think _implode _is more like it," she giggled, then clasped her hand over her mouth with a gasp. "Oh, Jack! You're making me bad! Look at us, teasing Bunny!"

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," he reminded her.

She shook her head, still struggling to stifle her laughter. "So, how are you coming along with _your _solos?" she asked as she sat up, and looked down at him.

He shrugged as he laid down on the bed next to her, trying to ignore the brush of feather against his sweater. "Eh. It could be better. I'm having a bit of trouble with the harmonizing notes, but Bunny's helping me out with that, surprisingly."

"Not just the duet you have with Bunny. What about the solo that North gave you for the closing of the show?"

"That? It's...It's coming along just fine, no problem." He was lying. The song was coming along terribly. And it would be his luck that it would be the only song that he was doing completely solo until towards the end. Nobody would be backup-singing, or chanting, or even dancing behind him. It was only him. Well, except Sandy, who would be playing various instruments, but that didn't count.

Though, if he was honest with himself, he had most of it covered, but there was one part where he had to hit not only an extremely high note for him, but hold it for ten beats! Normally, he would have been able to cover it, with a little extra breath, except that there was no chance to take a breath any time before.

To his relief, she didn't ask if she could hear him. Instead, she glanced over at him, almost a little hesitantly. "So, um, did...did anything happen with _that__?_" She nodded to his chest.

He glanced down to see what she was referring to, and saw the crystal necklace that Tooth had given him peeking above the collar of his jacket. He had almost forgotten that it was there. He pulled it out and twisted it between his fingers. It glowed slightly, but nothing had happened. "Nothing incredible," he said as he let it drop, "but I've been having some weird dreams."

"Dreams? What are they about?"

"Nothing in particular. People with white hair, crystal caverns, cities made of glass." He withheld the fact that the people with white hair also wore the same necklace as him, that the crystal caverns glowed on strange creatures beneath them in the water, that the buildings of glass were spires that scraped the sky. She would think they were just crazy dreams. Not to mention, there was this girl that kept on appearing, in almost every single one. He couldn't remember what she looked like for the life of him, but each time he woke, it was with the certainty that she was the same one. He suspected that she was even the one in the flashback, but he couldn't remember her face either.

"They don't really seem to have any type of storyline or whatever to them," he continued, swinging the necklace on his finger. "It's like...almost like they're _memories_."

"Maybe you're seeing Atlantis before it sank," she suggested. "They had cities of glass and crystal catacombs under the surface. Perhaps..." She trailed off.

"Yeah?"

She shook her head. "Never mind, it's stupid. So, Jack. Can I hear your song?" she asked, changing the subject.

He shook his head. "Nah. You'd have an earache."

"Please?" she pleased, drawing her knees up to her chest, looking just plain adorable as she looked up at him with her round amethyst eyes. Jack felt a throb in his chest, and knew he couldn't lie to her.

"Okay, okay, so there's this _one _part that I have a _bit _of trouble with."

"Well, maybe I can help," she offered. "Go ahead and sing."

"I don't know if that's-"

"Jack," she said sternly.

He sighed. "Fine." He rolled of the bed and cleared his throat.

"_If we believe, we can achieve anything_  
_Including the impossible. This I know..._  
_So let's lift up our heads, yeah._  
_And raise the flag, yeah yeah-_  
_And scream like you want to win!_  
_Now let the games begin-!_"

His voice cracked in the middle of the last word, and he groaned, pressing his forehead against the palms of his hands.

"Come on, Jack, you almost had it that time," Tooth said encouragingly.

"Thanks," he muttered, knowing that the fairy was only trying to make him feel better.

"I don't know why I can't get it!" he fumed, pacing the room. "I've tried every day, all night! I've done the warm-ups, taken the herbs, drunken the tea, and nothing ever seems to work!"

He swung his staff angrily, and it hit the fireplace, which made ice formations crawl around the mantelpiece and freeze the fire.

"Jack!" Tooth exclaimed, surprised at the sudden burst of fury. But all of the frustration from earlier, the boiling emotions inside now exploding in pyroclastic fury.

"I don't know what I'm doing wrong! I've tried everything, but I'm gonna make us all look like a bunch of idiots when we get up on stage!" He swung it again, and this time a bolt of ice flew from it, tearing through one of the paintings on the wall.

"Jack, stop!"

"And then, for the first time in a thousand years, we'll lose the Winter Concert! All because of me!"

Tooth flew in front of Jack, and shoved him roughly against the wall, and he gasped. She winced as she did so, not wanting to hurt him, but she didn't know any other way to get his attention. "Jack! You are NOT going to fail at the concert!" she told him firmly. "You are going to rock it like no other Guardian! You're gonna be able to do this if you just _believe._"

His eyes flickered up to meet hers. "But what am I supposed to believe in?" he croaked, "if I can't believe in myself?"

She hesitated, then answered, saying the words that felt right deep in her heart. "Believe in what matters most to you," she replied softly. "What drives you."

He gave her a wry smile. "My center?"

"No, not your center," she disagreed. "Your…your passion. What inspires you. What drives you," she repeated

Jack frowned. "I would say Jamie, or the kids, but I don't think that that's it right now."

"Well, I hope you find it soon. Or else, we're all going to absolutely _suck_ at the concert."

"Hey, that's not fair!" he protested.

"Life's not fair." She gave him a small smile. "You'll get it eventually. I promise." Then, even though she knew that she shouldn't, she fluttered up a few inches and gently kissed him on the cheek. She heard his breath quicken, but he didn't say anything. She rested back on to the floor and gently patted him on the shoulder, thinking that the usual ruffle of the hair would be too much affection for him. "Get some sleep," she said softly. "You'll need it for tomorrow."

He sighed, and nodded. "But, um, you're kind of, uh, really close to me."

"Huh?" she looked down, then realized that their chests were touching. Embarrassed, she flew back and ran a hand through her head feathers. "I'm sorry. Um, uh...goodnight," she stammered as she rubbed her arm and began to fly towards the door.

"Goodnight, Tooth," he said as he got ready for bed, pulling off his hoodie and laying it on the chair. "See you in the morning."

She nodded and hurriedly left before he could take off his shirt. She didn't want him to see her swoon at his muscular chest like last time. He had teased her enough about it already.

Jack waited until Tooth was out of the tower to throw back on his hoodie and shirt, then went over to the window, and whispered, "Wind!" An answering breeze brushed against his face. "Take me to the lake!" The wind curled around him, and swept him up into the sky.

He flew through the frosty air until he reached Burgess. But he wasn't visiting Jamie. Jack flew through the forest until he had reached the lake where he had drowned, though he'd rather not remember that.

His bare feet dragged across the frozen lake as he slid on the ice to the other side until he reached the half-hidden house on the other. He had been coming here for the past few nights working on his new home. He had made impressive progress, if he didn't say himself. It was four stories high, nothing major, and about twice as long as a school bus. Not to mention it was made of never-melting ice. It had taken him a while to perform the trick on such a large scale, but it had come out really well. It looked like a magnified cottage.

Jack walked up the stairs to the porch and laid his staff on the chrysalis bench he had made before turning to the front of the house. Tonight he would be working on the windows.

The ice spirit took a deep breath and began his work on the space next to the door. He made the ice thinner in a perfect rectangle, adding an ice formation that twirled intricately around and over the window. He sighed in satisfaction when he looked at his work. He then flew off to add some more around the house.

Just like always, his mind began to drift to Tooth. He wondered if she was going to sleep tonight, or was going to be collecting teeth. Then he wondered where she slept. She had never taken him to her room. The again, why should she? It was probably the only place where she could get peace and quiet from her duties and fairies. He had no right to go and disrupt that. But it still didn't make him any less curious about it.

Which reminded him of how he had been lately around Tooth. He could no longer deny that he was feeling something with the fairy, something he was sure that he hadn't experienced in his life, even when he was alive. _Love. _The word popped into his head suddenly. His hands, which were moving across the window he was currently working on, froze.

_Love. _The word felt foreign to him. "But it feels right," Jack whispered to himself. He leaned against the house and put a hand on his head. "I love her," he said to himself. Suddenly, a huge grin appeared on his face. "I love her," he said loudly, then shouted, "I love her!" A strange giddy feeling filled him, and he began to laugh. "I'm in love with the tooth fairy. I'm in love with the tooth fairy," he repeated. Every time he said it, that same feeling flushed through him.

He had no idea that Baby Tooth had come back up to his room to check on him, and had seen him fly away. She had told Toothiana and they both followed him to Burgess. They were now watching him from the trees at that moment. Tooth's eyes had widened at the sight of the house, and, instead of leaving or confronting him, like she should have, she watched him work. And now she was gaping at him as he shouted out his love for her, a hand over her mouth.

If Jack knew this, he probably wouldn't have done that. Or what he did next.

He flew on top of the house, his feet making ice snowflakes hanging from the side of the foot. He gazed up at the moon, and began to sing in a soft voice,

"_So many times out there,  
I've watched a happy pair  
Of lovers walking in the night….._"

Jack sat on the edge of the roof and looked at the town. He could faintly spot two people walking close together, holding hands. The moon shone brightly on them, and he almost laughed. _How fitting._

"_They had a kind of glow around them;  
It almost looked like heaven's light…_"

He sighed as he stood up and turned his gaze back to the moon.

"_I knew I'd never know  
That warm and loving glow,  
Though I might wish with all my might.  
No face as hideous as my face  
Was ever meant for heaven's light…"_

Tooth sat on one of the lower tree branches, her eyes watching the young spirit intently. Suddenly, Jack smiled and slid off the roof down on to the lake.

_"But suddenly an angel has smiled at me_  
_And kissed my cheek without a trace of fright…"_

He started to work on something in the ice that Tooth couldn't see, though she could see the grin on his face.

"_I dare to dream that she  
Might even care for me,  
And as I ring these bells tonight….._"

Using the same power that he had used to make a snow bunny for Jamie, he lifted his hands, and out came...a snow Tooth, every feature perfectly replicated. She smiled at him and held up her hand to him. The real Tooth's eyes widened as he continued,

"_My cold dark tower seems so bright….."_

Jack reached out to touch her hand, and she fell away into a pile of snow. He didn't seem upset, though. Instead, he turned around, the grin still on his face and sang to the moon as it shone done on him,

_"I swear it must be heaven's light…"_

He stood there for a few seconds, breathing heavily. Tooth felt a strong tug of yearning in her chest, a longing to fly down there and embrace him, to tell him that she loved him, too, but she was afraid. Afraid that she might be wrong, that it wasn't her that he had made a snow figure of, it was actually some pixie or sprite, that he might reject her. So she only turned away, hiding the smile on her face as she flew away.

Baby Tooth, on the other hand, didn't follow her queen. She curiously flew out of the tree branches, and chirped to Jack. He whirled around, startled from the sudden noise, then smiled when he saw it was just the little fairy. "Hey there, Baby Tooth," he greeted, skating across the lake to meet her. She waved at him as she flew into his open palm. "How are you?" he asked as he continued to skate barefoot around the lake. "I haven't seen you in a while."

She shrugged, then pointed behind him, a questioning look in her eyes. "Hmm?" He turned and saw that she was pointing at the ice house. "That? That's my new home," he told her. "It's almost done. I just need to fill it up with stuff." She chirped questioningly. "You know, like couches and paintings and tables. Maybe one or two workshops." She raised a little fairy eyebrow. "Hey! I have work to do, too! I've been trying to separate my powers so that I can put different types of fun spells on people. And I also need a huge map so I can actually plan out my snow days instead of just doing it whenever." She twittered her approval and he laughed. Suddenly, she shivered. "Oh yeah, I forgot. You don't like the cold that much, huh? Come on, let's get you back to Tooth Palace."

* * *

Jack slept fitfully, tossing and turning on his bed. Sweat beads crawled down his bare arms and chest, though he shivered as if struck with cold. But he wasn't aware of either one of these things. He could feel something coming. He didn't know what it was, only that it here for him. Something tugged at the edges of his mind, seductive and shimmery. Not quite darkness, but not one of light, either.

"_Awake,_" he heard a soft voice. Upon command, his eyes snapped open. The room was dark and empty, exactly like how it was when he had closed his eyes. Except...He squinted in the darkness, and could see that his window, which he could have sworn he had closed before he had went to bed, was wide open. The moonlight poured through the open window, a breeze making the curtains float ominously. For a few seconds, he laid in his bed, unsure of what to do. Then he heard the voice again. "_Rise._"

He took a deep, shuddering breath, then pulled off his covers and stood up. "_Come to the window,_" the voice whispered. He did as it asked and peered out the window. He couldn't see anything except for the flutter of tooth fairies as they darted throughout the palace. "_Follow my voice. Do not let them see you._" As it spoke, he could hear a faint, light humming that made his heart and mind soar. He inhaled quickly as he felt the feeling swiftly leave him. _No, _he thought desperately. _Don't leave._ Without thinking, he grabbed his staff from beside it, and did as he was told, not knowing whether or not he was going to come back- not caring either way. All he could think about was that voice, the angelic voice in his head.

The sound led him to the tallest mountain of the several that surrounded the palace. Jack landed atop the peak, feeling slightly bewildered as he found himself alone and with no sound. "_Turn around, bright eyes,_" it whispered. "_Turn to me, so that you may see me._"

Jack held his breath as he slowly turned.

And saw his Angel of Music.

* * *

To be honest, I forgot what I was going to originally write for the ending, and ended up writing this. Well, at least I remember everything else, right? I do remember that the next chapter is when Jack impresses the other Guardians with his major improvement, and they think it's all him but it's actually- wait! I can't tell you yet! You'll have it read it yourselves!

Please review if you want me to continue.


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